The needle poked through the synthetic leather fabric. Sakura had told the designer not to make Tasuki's pants too tight. With the way Tasuki moved on stage, she knew she would be mending them sooner or later. Boy, with the way he moved on stage, she would certainly be mending them sooner.
Sakura Tawainai was the seamstress for the number one J-pop band, THTC. Sakura had long black hair and large violet eyes framed by long, dark lashes. At nineteen years old, she was fairly inexperienced in the music industry. She really didn't need to know since she was "just the seamstress." Well, that's how her cousin, Tamahome, put it.
Tamahome was in THTC. He was the "teen heartthrob." Hotohori was the "romantic one." Tasuki was the "sexy one" (Sakura: For obvious reasons!!). Chichiri was the "cute one."
"Shimatta!" Sakura cursed as she stuffed her finger in her mouth. "Stupid needle." She took a thimble out of her sewing basket and placed it on her injured finger.
"Almost done there?" Tasuki's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Um…" She was flustered. "Yeah…um…I just have to finish sewing this area." She motioned rather generally to the crotch. "Then they'll be as good as new for the show tonight. I wish Nuriko wouldn't make your pants so…" She thought for the appropriate word, but couldn't find it. "Tight," she finished, blushing.
"What? Don't you like 'em tight?" he said smoothly, stepping closer to her.
"It sure would make my job easier." She dug back into the work, trying futilely to hide the heat emanating from her face.
Tamahome's head popped in the room. "Hey! Sakki!"
"Not to be confused with sake," Tasuki finished. They both laughed at their on-going joke.
"Anyway," Tamahome began again. "All of us are going to lunch and a movie. Wanna come?"
Sure. Of course she wanted to go. "I can't. I have a million things to do around here." She had to make excuses. That's just what she did.
"Oh, come on, Sakki," Tasuki mock begged.
She couldn't turn down Tasuki. She just couldn't; there was no way. She sighed. "Alright. I'll go. Under one condition." She paused as she glared at both men. "That I won't be confused for a rabid fangirl and dragged away when you aren't looking."
Both men laughed as they recalled the incident where they had to bail Sakura out of jail for "stalking." Those were the scariest moments of her life. They probably wouldn't have noticed, anyway, if it hadn't been for Chiriko who had noticed her go missing. When they went to the police to see if they had seen her, the police asked if she was the girl they were missing.
"I'm never going to forgive you for that," she said.
"And we're never going to stop laughing at it," Tamahome reminded her.
^-^
Sakura grasped the back of Nuriko's shirt as they shuffled through the mob of people on the street. They hadn't even seen any fangirls yet. Maybe they weren't as popular in the States, which they were currently touring.
"Is New York really this crowded?" Hotohori asked. "They are packed together like commoners." The former emperor crinkled his nose.
The seven men Sakura worked with always said that they were some sort of celestial warriors many centuries ago who were sworn to protect Tamahome's girlfriend, Miaka. Miaka, apparently, was some sort of priestess who came from another world to summon forth a god to save the world. Sakura, she assumed, was not supposed to know really. They always spoke in hushed voices about the matter, but, nonetheless, she knew. It was quite silly; they had even gotten Miaka in on the story.
"They are commoners, sire," Chiriko said. "Actually, New York is quite similar to Tokyo, although less densely populated." The seventeen-year-old co-manager did most of the finances as well as the majority of the managing responsibilities. Tamahome was the other co-manager, but he didn't do much besides sing.
Sakura had always felt badly for Chiriko. He seemed to be almost…a loner since she met him three years ago. He was so smart that it separated him from others his age. The other six seishi—as well as many others—treated him like a child. Frankly, he was still a child. At least he was in body, but he was more mature than even Mitsukake and Chichiri.
^-^
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"We haven't figured out what to eat yet. That's what we mean," Tasuki answered.
"That's about it," Tamahome said, nodding.
"Why didn't you check to see what was here before we left?" Sakura threw her arms above her head. "We're gonna starve!"
"We aren't going to starve, onee-san," Chiriko said calmly. "One can live for weeks without food."
"Not only are we going to starve," Nuriko said, looking at his watch. "We're going to miss the movie, too."
"What!" she cried. "And I wanted to see it, too."
"Don't worry, no da," Chichiri said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It plays at 3:00. We should be able to see that showing."
All the same, Sakura slumped into the nearest park bench and sighed. "I'm hungry," she said quietly. She blushed a little as Tasuki sat next to her. The bench wasn't exactly massive.
"What about that diner?" Mitsukake said, pointing behind the bench.
Sakura and Tasuki looked over their shoulders and saw a typical fifties-style diner across the park.
Sakura grinned. Diner food had to be the best in the whole world.
^-^
Hotohori needed the most coaxing, as he refused to enter such a common place. Chiriko came to the rescue, though. He reminded Hotohori that he could be spotted by fangirls, if he remained outside. Hotohori, remembering what had happened to his hair last fangirl attack, was more than willing to eat at the diner.
Sakura sat at a booth with Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko. THTC sat together, as per the norm.
After the waiter took the orders, the THTC table spoke, huddled, in whispers while the other group, mainly Nuriko, talked animatedly.
Sakura laughed when Nuriko smacked Mitsukake while trying to show the size of the mob of fangirls where Hotohori's hair was destroyed and he had to wear a wig for weeks. Chiriko smiled fondly at the memory and Mitsukake nursed his chin and cheek, but smiled slightly nonetheless.
Sakura told the table the "Classified" Tamahome tale about when he was little. She never would have told, but he told everyone her "Classified" stories; it was only right to repay him. But she was kind enough not to tell Tasuki, Tamahome's biggest fighting rival. She didn't want him to be that embarrassed.
There was the time where Tamahome tried to sell his siblings and Sakura to the circus and the one where he had used Chuei as a ball. She couldn't stop laughing when she told the story about Tamahome going to Fort Knox when they had visited America as children. He wanted to know if he could take home some gold as a souvenir. After that they had gone to the mint and then the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (where they print bills). He had fainted inside the building and had to carry him out; all the money had been too much for him.
She had the whole table laughing hysterically, even Mitsukake.
"Hey! Oni—" Sakura stopped dead as she felt lips on hers. Her eyes grew wide and she pushed it away. Tasuki stood there with a slight smirk on his face. Her face burned, especially her lips.
The whole group was in hysterics except for Sakura, who was furious and embarrassed, Tasuki, who only smirked, and Chiriko, who looked worried. Sakura planned to kill everyone who laughed, except Mitsukake who she knew was still laughing about Tamahome.
Tasuki strolled back to his table and flopped into his seat. Tamahome and Chichiri threw down some bills each. Hotohori added some to the pile as well.
"Well," Sakura said to her table. "It was nice to invite me to lunch, but I'm afraid I have too much work to do to go see the movie." She stood up. "I'll see you whenever you get back, I suppose." She walked calmly out of the diner.
"Man, I was sure she was gonna slap you or something," Tamahome said, staring longingly at the bills piled in front of Tasuki.
"Daa… I thought she would, too."
Hotohori flipped some hair over his shoulder. "I was certain she would reciprocate."
Tasuki gave a toothy grin. "It turned out the best fer me, I think."
Chiriko stood up. He glared as ferociously as he could at THTC. "That was a really nasty thing to do to her." And he ran after her.